Chapter 4: To listen to and obey the Imam - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated `Ali:
حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَعَثَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَرِيَّةً، وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يُطِيعُوهُ، فَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ تُطِيعُونِي قَالُوا بَلَى. قَالَ عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمَا جَمَعْتُمْ حَطَبًا وَأَوْقَدْتُمْ نَارًا، ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُمْ فِيهَا، فَجَمَعُوا حَطَبًا فَأَوْقَدُوا، فَلَمَّا هَمُّوا بِالدُّخُولِ فَقَامَ يَنْظُرُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ، قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّمَا تَبِعْنَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِرَارًا مِنَ النَّارِ، أَفَنَدْخُلُهَا، فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ خَمَدَتِ النَّارُ، وَسَكَنَ غَضَبُهُ، فَذُكِرَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ
" لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا أَبَدًا، إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ ".
The Prophet (ﷺ) sent an army unit (for some campaign) and appointed a man from the Ansar as its
commander and ordered them (the soldiers) to obey him. (During the campaign) he became angry
with them and said, "Didn't the Prophet (ﷺ) order you to obey me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "I order
you to collect wood and make a fire and then throw yourselves into it." So they collected wood and
made a fire, but when they were about to throw themselves into, it they started looking at each other,
and some of them said, "We followed the Prophet (ﷺ) to escape from the fire. How should we enter it
now?" So while they were in that state, the fire extinguished and their commander's anger abated. The
event was mentioned to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said, "If they had entered it (the fire) they would never
have come out of it, for obedience is required only in what is good." (See Hadith No. 629. Vol. 5)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O `Abdur-Rahman! Do not seek to be a ruler, for if you are given authority on your
demand then you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking (for it), then you
will be helped (by Allah) in it. If you ever take an oath to do something and later on you find that
something else is better, then you should expiate your oath and do what is better."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O `Abdur-Rahman bin Samura! Do not seek to be a ruler, for if you are given
authority on your demand, you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking for
it, then you will be helped (by Allah) in it. If you ever take an oath to do something and later on you
find that something else is better, then do what is better and make expiation for your oath."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You people will be keen to have the authority of ruling which will be a thing of
regret for you on the Day of Resurrection. What an excellent wet nurse it is, yet what a bad weaning
one it is!"
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 262
Hadith 7149
Chapter 7: What is disliked regarding the authority of ruling - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated Abu Musa:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَا وَرَجُلاَنِ مِنْ قَوْمِي فَقَالَ أَحَدُ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَمِّرْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. وَقَالَ الآخَرُ مِثْلَهُ. فَقَالَ
" إِنَّا لاَ نُوَلِّي هَذَا مَنْ سَأَلَهُ، وَلاَ مَنْ حَرَصَ عَلَيْهِ ".
Two men from my tribe and I entered upon the Prophet. One of the two men said to the Prophet, "O
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Appoint me as a governor," and so did the second. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "We do not
assign the authority of ruling to those who ask for it, nor to those who are keen to have it."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 263
Hadith 7150
Chapter 8: The ruler not ruling in an honest manner - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated Ma'qil:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَشْهَبِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، أَنَّ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ زِيَادٍ، عَادَ مَعْقِلَ بْنَ يَسَارٍ فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَعْقِلٌ إِنِّي مُحَدِّثُكَ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ
" مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ اسْتَرْعَاهُ اللَّهُ رَعِيَّةً، فَلَمْ يَحُطْهَا بِنَصِيحَةٍ، إِلاَّ لَمْ يَجِدْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ ".
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "Any man whom Allah has given the authority of ruling some people and
he does not look after them in an honest manner, will never feel even the smell of Paradise."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If any ruler having the authority to rule Muslim subjects dies while he is
deceiving them, Allah will forbid Paradise for him."
I saw Safwan and Jundab and Safwan's companions when Jundab was advising. They said, "Did you
hear something from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" Jundab said, "I heard him saying, 'Whoever does a good deed
in order to show off, Allah will expose his intentions on the Day of Resurrection (before the people),
and whoever puts the people into difficulties, Allah will put him into difficulties on the Day of
Resurrection.'" The people said (to Jundab), "Advise us." He said, "The first thing of the human body
to purify is the `Abdomen, so he who can eat nothing but good food (Halal and earned lawfully)
should do so, and he who does as much as he can that nothing intervene between him and Paradise by
not shedding even a handful of blood, (i.e. murdering) should do so."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 266
Hadith 7153
Chapter 10: To give judgements and legal opinions on the road - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا أَنَا وَالنَّبِيُّ، صلى الله عليه وسلم خَارِجَانِ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَلَقِيَنَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَ سُدَّةِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَتَى السَّاعَةُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا أَعْدَدْتَ لَهَا " فَكَأَنَّ الرَّجُلَ اسْتَكَانَ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَعْدَدْتُ لَهَا كَبِيرَ صِيَامٍ وَلاَ صَلاَةٍ وَلاَ صَدَقَةٍ، وَلَكِنِّي أُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ. قَالَ " أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ ".
While the Prophet (ﷺ) and I were coming out of the mosque, a man met us outside the gate. The man said,
"O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! When will be the Hour?" The Prophet (ﷺ) asked him, "What have you prepared for
it?" The man became afraid and ashamed and then said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I haven't prepared for it
much of fasts, prayers or charitable gifts but I love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You
will be with the one whom you love."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 267
Hadith 7154
Chapter 11: There was no gatekeeper for the Prophet (saws) - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated Thabit Al-Bunani:
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ لاِمْرَأَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ تَعْرِفِينَ فُلاَنَةَ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ. قَالَ فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ بِهَا وَهْىَ تَبْكِي عِنْدَ قَبْرٍ فَقَالَ " اتَّقِي اللَّهَ وَاصْبِرِي ". فَقَالَتْ إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي، فَإِنَّكَ خِلْوٌ مِنْ مُصِيبَتِي. قَالَ فَجَاوَزَهَا وَمَضَى فَمَرَّ بِهَا رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ مَا قَالَ لَكِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. قَالَتْ مَا عَرَفْتُهُ قَالَ إِنَّهُ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فَجَاءَتْ إِلَى بَابِهِ فَلَمْ تَجِدْ عَلَيْهِ بَوَّابًا فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا عَرَفْتُكَ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ الصَّبْرَ عِنْدَ أَوَّلِ صَدْمَةٍ ".
Anas bin Malik said to a woman of his family, "Do you know such-and-such a woman?" She replied,
"Yes." He said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by her while she was weeping over a grave, and he said to her,
'Be afraid of Allah and be patient.' The woman said (to the Prophet). 'Go away from me, for you do
not know my calamity.'" Anas added, "The Prophet (ﷺ) left her and proceeded. A man passed by her and
asked her, 'What has Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to you?' She replied, 'I did not recognize him.' The man said,
'He was Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)."' Anas added, "So that woman came to the gate of the Prophet (ﷺ) and she did
not find a gate-keeper there, and she said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! By Allah. I did not recognize you!' The
Prophet said, 'No doubt, patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.'"
A man embraced Islam and then reverted back to Judaism. Mu`adh bin Jabal came and saw the man
with Abu Musa. Mu`adh asked, "What is wrong with this (man)?" Abu Musa replied, "He embraced
Islam and then reverted back to Judaism." Mu`adh said, "I will not sit down unless you kill him (as it
is) the verdict of Allah and His Apostle.
Abu Bakra wrote to his son who was in Sijistan: 'Do not judge between two persons when you are
angry, for I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "A judge should not judge between two persons while he is in
an angry mood."
A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! By Allah, I fail to attend the morning
congregational prayer because so-and-so (i.e., Mu`adh bin Jabal) prolongs the prayer when he leads us
for it." I had never seen the Prophet (ﷺ) more furious in giving advice than he was on that day. He then
said, "O people! some of you make others dislike (good deeds, i.e. prayers etc). So whoever among
you leads the people in prayer, he should shorten it because among them there are the old, the weak
and the busy (needy having some jobs to do). (See Hadith No. 90, Vol. 1)
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 273
Hadith 7160
Chapter 13: Can a judge give a judgement in an angry mood? - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي يَعْقُوبَ الْكِرْمَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَسَّانُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ، قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمٌ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَهْىَ حَائِضٌ، فَذَكَرَ عُمَرُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَتَغَيَّظَ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَالَ
" لِيُرَاجِعْهَا، ثُمَّ لْيُمْسِكْهَا حَتَّى تَطْهُرَ، ثُمَّ تَحِيضَ فَتَطْهُرَ، فَإِنْ بَدَا لَهُ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَهَا فَلْيُطَلِّقْهَا ".
That he had divorced his wife during her menses. `Umar mentioned that to the Prophet. Allah's
Apostle became angry and said, "He must take her back (his wife) and keep her with him till she
becomes clean from her menses and then to wait till she gets her next period and becomes clean again
from it and only then, if he wants to divorce her, he may do so."
Hind bint `Utba bin Rabi`a came and said. "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! By Allah, there was no family on the
surface of the earth, I like to see in degradation more than I did your family, but today there is no
family on the surface of the earth whom I like to see honored more than yours." Hind added, "Abu
Sufyan is a miser. Is it sinful of me to feed our children from his property?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There
is no blame on you if you feed them (thereof) in a just and reasonable manner.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 275
Hadith 7162
Chapter 15: To bear witness as to the writer of a stamped letter; and the letter of a ruler to a governor, and of a judge to a judge - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا أَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَكْتُبَ إِلَى الرُّومِ قَالُوا إِنَّهُمْ لاَ يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَابًا إِلاَّ مَخْتُومًا. فَاتَّخَذَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَاتَمًا مِنْ فِضَّةٍ، كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى وَبِيصِهِ، وَنَقْشُهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ.
When the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to write to the Byzantines, the people said, "They do not read a letter
unless it is sealed (stamped)." Therefore the Prophet (ﷺ) took a silver ring----as if I am looking at its
glitter now----and its engraving was: 'Muhammad, Apostle of Allah'.
That when he went to 'Umar during his Caliphate. 'Umar said to him,
"Haven't I been told that you do certain jobs for the people but when
you are given payment you refuse to take it?" 'Abdullah added: I said,
"Yes." 'Umar said, "Why do you do so?" I said, "I have horses and
slaves and I am living in prosperity and I wish that my payment should
be kept as a charitable gift for the Muslims." 'Umar said, "Do not do
so, for I intended to do the same as you do. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)s used to
give me gifts and I used to say to him, 'Give it to a more needy one
than me.' Once he gave me some money and I said, 'Give it to a more
needy person than me,' whereupon the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Take it and keep
it in your possession and then give it in charity. Take what ever
comes to you of this money if you are not keen to have it and not
asking for it; otherwise (i.e., if it does not come to you) do not
seek to have it yourself.' "
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 277
Hadith 7164
Chapter 17: The salaries of rulers and those employed to administer the funds - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
وَعَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنْ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ، يَقُولُ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعْطِينِي الْعَطَاءَ فَأَقُولُ أَعْطِهِ أَفْقَرَ إِلَيْهِ مِنِّي. حَتَّى أَعْطَانِي مَرَّةً مَالاً فَقُلْتُ أَعْطِهِ مَنْ هُوَ أَفْقَرُ إِلَيْهِ مِنِّي. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم
" خُذْهُ فَتَمَوَّلْهُ وَتَصَدَّقْ بِهِ، فَمَا جَاءَكَ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ وَأَنْتَ غَيْرُ مُشْرِفٍ وَلاَ سَائِلٍ فَخُذْهُ، وَمَا لاَ فَلاَ تُتْبِعْهُ نَفْسَكَ ".
I have heard 'Umar saying, "The Prophet (ﷺ)
used to give me some money (grant) and I would say (to him), 'Give it
to a more needy one than me.' Once he gave me some money and I said,
'Give it to a more needy one than me.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to me), 'Take
it and keep it in your possession and then give it in charity. Take
whatever comes to you of this money while you are not keen to have it
and not asking for it; take it, but you should not seek to have what
you are not given. ' "
I witnessed a husband and a wife who were involved in a case of Lian. Then (the judgment of) divorce
was passed. I was fifteen years of age, at that time.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 278
Hadith 7166
Chapter 18: Whoever gave judgements of Li'an in the mosque - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated Sahl:
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَهْلٍ، أَخِي بَنِي سَاعِدَةَ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً، أَيَقْتُلُهُ فَتَلاَعَنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَأَنَا شَاهِدٌ.
(the brother of Bani Sa`ida) A man from the Ansar came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "If a man finds
another man sleeping with his wife, should he kill him?" That man and his wife then did Lian in the
mosque while I was present.
A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while he was in the mosque, and called him, saying, "O Allah's
Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse." The Prophet (ﷺ) turned his face to the other side,
but when the man gave four witnesses against himself, the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Are you mad?" The
man said, "No." So the Prophet (ﷺ) said (to his companions), "Take him away and stone him to death. "
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 1, Book 89, Hadith 280
Hadith 7169
Chapter 20: The advice of the Imam to the litigants - كتاب الأحكام
Narrated Um Salama:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
" إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ، وَإِنَّكُمْ تَخْتَصِمُونَ إِلَىَّ، وَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَكُمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَلْحَنَ بِحُجَّتِهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَأَقْضِي نَحْوَ مَا أَسْمَعُ، فَمَنْ قَضَيْتُ لَهُ بِحَقِّ أَخِيهِ شَيْئًا فَلاَ يَأْخُذْهُ، فَإِنَّمَا أَقْطَعُ لَهُ قِطْعَةً مِنَ النَّارِ ".
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I am only a human being, and you people (opponents) come to me with your
cases; and it may be that one of you can present his case eloquently in a more convincing way than the
other, and I give my verdict according to what I hear. So if ever I judge (by error) and give the right of
a brother to his other (brother) then he (the latter) should not take it, for I am giving him only a piece
of Fire." (See Hadith No. 638, Vol. 3).